Jacques Branellec in front of a refurbished Morane from the Algerian war, used for flight training at the Center of Aeronautical Training in Challes

The sixth annual JNA Awards is honouring two trailblazers in the cultured pearl industry with the Lifetime Achievement Award, the awards programme's most prestigious accolade reserved for individuals whose vision and leadership have a positive and enduring impact on the world around them.

The sixth annual JNA Awards is honouring two trailblazers in the cultured pearl industry with the Lifetime Achievement Award, the awards programme's most prestigious accolade reserved for individuals whose vision and leadership have a positive and enduring impact on the world around them.

Firmin Robert Wan, the "Pearl Emperor of Tahiti," and Jacques Branellec, a pioneer in the cultivation of the golden South Sea pearl, are the recipients of the JNA Awards' highest recognition this year. This also marks the first time that the awards programme is presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award to two individuals.

Wan, founder of the Robert Wan Group, is widely credited for bringing the Tahitian pearl into the forefront of the fine jewellery industry, while Branellec, who co-founded Jewelmer with Filipino entrepreneur Manuel Cojuangco, is known for his groundbreaking work in the cultivation of golden South Sea pearls.

"I am extremely delighted and thankful to be the recipient of this prestigious award. Thank you JNA Awards for recognising my contributions to the jewellery industry. I have devoted my entire life to this fascinating gem. Today, I dedicate the pearl to all women who will succumb to its eternal beauty forever," Wan shared upon receiving the news of the award.

Branellec joined in, "I am deeply honoured to receive JNA's Lifetime Achievement Award. To me, it means that if one believes in rightfulness and innovates with the best intention, one will be rewarded beyond expectation. Having spent 47 years in the pearl industry, I keep in mind that humility is the key to success: to honour one's beginnings and to stay faithful to one's origins. Whether you are a manager or a pearl farmer, I believe it is important to associate value not with economic success but simply with the thought that you are a captain who has brought his ship safe to the right destination."

These two industry pillars, together with 34 Honourees that have been shortlisted across 10 categories, will be feted at the highly anticipated JNA Awards ceremony and gala dinner scheduled for 14 September in Hong Kong during the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair.